Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) catches a pass for a touchdown in front of Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (24) in the second half of their game on Sunday, Oct 21, 2018. The Colts defeated the Bills 37-5.(Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)

Story Highlights

INDIANAPOLIS — Frank Reich hasn’t worked with Andrew Luck for very long, but already the first-year Indianapolis Colts coach has become attuned to one of his star quarterback’s idiosyncrasies.

There’s just something different about game day Andrew Luck when T.Y. Hilton is on the field. A different vibe. Like he knows that anytime No. 13 is patrolling the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium alongside him, something magical can happen.

That’s precisely what it is, says Hilton.

“Anytime we’re out there together, it’s special,” said a smiling Hilton, who returned from a three-week absence due to a hamstring injury to catch two of Luck’s four touchdown passes in the Colts’ 37-5 throttling of the Buffalo Bills. “We’re looking for one another. Whenever we need a play, we come to one another.”

That was never more evident than on the Colts’ third touchdown of the game, a broken play in the red zone where Luck seems to lock in on Hilton.

In one of the few instances Sunday where his protection broke down, Luck scrambled toward the far sideline, and just before he stepped out of bounds, fired back across his body to a sliding Hilton, who found a tiny sliver of opening in the Bills defense.

That’s not a play you draw up, Luck said, nor it is one that happens by accident. The makings of that score — and the one to follow — began more than six years ago. Since being selected together in the 2012 NFL Draft, Luck a first-round selection and Hilton a third, the wide receiver and quarterback have forged an unshakable bond.

When Luck is scrambling for his life, trying to turn nothing into something, he’s looking for No. 13. Meanwhile, as Luck is keeping a play alive, Hilton knows exactly where Luck needs him to be.

“It’s hard to explain,” Luck confesses of their seemingly supernatural connection. “I think playing with T.Y. in our seventh year together now, few guys can do the play-breaks-down, playground style of just running around and finding space. He has incredible football instincts, but at the same time plays with a sharp discipline.”

It’s a trust they share, Luck continues. He trusts Hilton to be exactly where he needs to be every time he drops back to pass. Consider their second hook-up of the day, a one-yard touchdown that saw Luck boot out to the right and throw a bullet into the waiting arms of Hilton. Luck throws that ball pretty much on the assumption that Hilton has created separation from his defender.

“That’s a trust throw,” said Reich, the ex-NFL quarterback-turned coach. “That’s so much trust in the receiver running that (route), because that could be 99 yards running the other way. That’s the kind of route you just gotta believe (in your guy), and T.Y. brings that.”

“That might not be a spectacular 60-yard classic T.Y. Hilton touchdown,” Luck added, “but it’s so impressive to watch him create space with leverage working against him. He does the little things right.”

The little things.

That's something the Colts have not done a lot of lately. Penalties, turnovers and, of course, drops have plagued Indianapolis during its three-game losing streak. But on Sunday, the Colts played nearly flawless football. Zero turnovers, only four penalties and, much to the delight of the Colts receiving corps, no drops.

While it’s impossible to attribute the return of mistake-free football to the return of one player, Reich said Hilton’s availability absolutely made an impact on the entire team. When asked about just how vital Hilton is to the Colts, Reich didn’t answer by talking schemes or touchdowns. He talked about emotion.

“(Having him back) does a lot on so many levels,” Reich said. “On that emotional level, just knowing he’s out there and he’s one of our leaders. He’s been all-in in every way. … He brings a big lift for our whole offense, as well as for Andrew.”

Hilton, too, knows the kind of impact he can have on the Colts. Earlier this week, he told members of the media that he was playing Sunday, no matter how he felt.

“My less (than 100 percent) is better than most people’s (100 percent),’’ he said with a sly smile. “I’m going to make sure I’m healthy, (but) this is a must-win game."

After Sunday's rout, in between his effusive praise for the offensive line, Hilton revealed that while he remained "far from 100 percent" healthy, he was pleased to be back on the field making plays in a Colts victory.

"Missing all that time, it hurt me just watching them," Hilton said. "It was great to be back. It seemed like they missed me."